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Think the only routes for English majors lead to either teaching or writing books? Think again! Explore 10 different career paths that can start with a degree in English.
Looking for a job as an English Major can feel stressful. It can seem as though there aren’t many options for you to apply your degree to or that you must stick to a strictly literary career path, but that isn’t necessarily true. As an English major, you learn how to write creatively, tell a captivating story, analyze text, edit, revise, and more, which are all marketable skills to have across many different career paths. So, to help ease your worries, listed below are the top 10 careers for English majors!
1. Book Editor
Role: Once an author turns in their manuscript, an editor’s job is to read, edit, and revise the story to make it as readable as it can be. They catch and correct mistakes or errors and suggest different ways to improve the story. There are even different types of editors you can choose to become, developmental editors, proofreaders, and line editors, according to your skillset and your interests.
Salary: According to the bureau, the average salary is $63,350, with the entry-level salary starting at $37k, and going up to $129.4k.
Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree and/or experience in the publishing industry through internships or background in bookselling.
Skills Needed: Attention to detail, writing, proofreading, copyediting.
2. Literary Agent
Role: Literary agents are the middle-person between authors and publishing houses. They pitch authors' books, help them negotiate book deals with publishing houses, and network on their behalf.
Pay: The average salary is $41,279, with an entry-level salary starting at $26.9k and going up to $63.1k.
Qualifications: An English degree and experience in the publishing industry through internships.
Skills Needed: Critical literary analysis, attention to detail, written communication, negotiation, networking.
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3. Copywriter
Role: Have you ever come across a product ad that was so clever you felt you had no choice but to own it? Whatever intrigued you enough to want the product in your hands as soon as possible was due to the hard work of a copywriter. The role of a copywriter is to write content for advertising and promotional purposes, such as slogans and billboards, to acquire an audience.
Salary: The average salary is $58,323 per year with entry-level being $37.9k and going up to $89.7k.
Qualifications: A Bachelor’s degree in English and/or experience in copywriting through freelance work.
Skills Needed: The ability to write clearly and concisely, advertising, attention to detail, communication, creativity.
4. Content Writer
Role: Though they sound similar, copywriters and content writers have two different roles. While copywriters are writing content to sell to an audience, content writers are writing compelling and engaging content to market and inform an audience about a certain topic. They are what build and maintain an audience.
Pay: The average yearly salary is $55,250, with the entry-level salary starting at $27.3k and going up to $111.5k.
Qualifications: A Bachelor’s degree and/or gain experience through internships and freelance work.
Skills Needed: Marketing, research, timeliness, storytelling, attention to detail.
5. Screenwriter
Role: Television and films wouldn’t exist or be interesting without the work of a screenwriter. Screenwriters write screenplays to be performed in visual media such as television and films.
Salary: Varies on the kind of script being written, but the average yearly salary is reported to be $67,687, with the entry-level starting at $44.3k and going up to $86.6k.
Qualifications: A Bachelor’s degree and/or experience in screenwriting.
Skills Needed: Storytelling, knowledge of filmmaking, verbal communication skills, creativity.
6. Journalist
Role: Things are constantly happening and without journalism, we wouldn’t know about any of them. Journalists find or are given stories to research, investigate, fact-check, and write to inform the public about. They interview individuals with further information and opinions on topics they are writing about and relay new information about stories as they develop.
Salary: The average salary is $48,370, with the entry-level salary starting at $29.9k and going up to $120.5k.
Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree.
Skills Needed: Researching, writing, interviewing, interpersonal communication, ability to analyze.
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7. Social Media Manager
Role: Social media managers manage the social media platforms of businesses, brands, or people. They create and utilize content strategies to increase engagement and grow their following.
Salary: The average salary of a social media manager is $49,407, with the entry-level salary starting at $44.5k and going up to $55.9k.
Qualifications: A Bachelor’s degree and/or experience in managing multiple social media channels.
Skills Needed: Knowledge of social media, marketing, written communication.
8. Public Relations Specialist
Role: PR Specialists curate narratives that create and maintain a positive image of their clients. They create an awareness of their client in all forms of media by creating publicity campaigns, forming and maintaining strong relationships with media contacts, monitoring media outlets, and more.
Salary: The average salary is $62,800, with entry-level salary starting at $37k and going up to $124.6k.
Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree.
Skills Needed: Writing, marketing, networking, storytelling, branding.
9. Speech Writer
Role: Speech writers work within spaces such as business and politics to write speeches and other modes of communication for leaders and executives.
Pay: The average salary is $144,088, with entry-level salary starting at $94.3k and going up to $184.3k.
Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree.
Skills Needed: Written communication, editing, public speaking, research, storytelling.
10. Grant Writer
Role: Grant writers research, develop, and write proposals and more on behalf of organizations or individuals to obtain grant funding.
Pay: The average salary is $57,221 with entry-level salary starting at $40.2k and going up to 81.4k.
Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree.
Skills Needed: Research, clear and concise written communication, clear and concise verbal communication, persuasiveness.
Getting Started
Now that you have an idea of the career paths English majors can follow, where do you go from here? A good place for you to start is Coastline’s Career Services! They have many helpful resources such as career assessments, templates for cover letters and resumes, where to find jobs and internships, and much more to help you on your career journey. Additionally, you can contact your professors about internship opportunities, network with alumni on LinkedIn, and start building a portfolio to show potential employers.
Happy job searching!
